Temptation (The Temptation Series) (23 page)

It was Nate’s turn for bed
next, I picked up his dirty clothes from the floor and gave him a ‘they don’t
belong here’ look. He jumped into bed waiting for his kiss and cuddle.
I
hope he wants these until he’s at least 21.
I sat on the edge of his bed.

“Be good at the farm and stop
being nasty to your sister.”

“But Mum…..” I gave him the
stern Mummy look.

“But nothing, she is your
baby sister and looks up to you, so be nice and make sure you wear all your
safety gear when you take your motorbike out, Ok?”

“Yeah, Ok.” I gave him a big
cuddle.

“I’ll see you on the weekend,
love you my little man.” I kissed his cheek and left the room.

Rick had resumed sweeping in
the Garage.
How much sweeping does he need to do? He knows something Alexis!

“Would you like a cup of
coffee?” I called from the door, he lent the broom up against the wall and
looked at me.

“No.”

“Ok.” I gave him a frown and
went to turn back inside.

“When were you going to tell
me about the Tel V’s tomorrow night?”
How the fuck does he know?
It was
really bugging me.

“Tonight, I only found out on
Wednesday then forgot to tell you before I left on Friday night, anyway, how do
you know I’m going?” He pulled out a crumpled and semi faded sticky note from
his pocket.
Oh Holy Fuck, Bryce’s Sticky Notes. Shit, the Dry Cleaning
. I’d
completely forgotten about them being in my pocket when we’d taken a dip in the
pool. I walked over to him and he handed me the note, he only had the one
sticky note and bits of the others. The part in which Bryce says he’s ‘very
much looking forward to seeing me in the dress on Monday night at the Tel V’s’,
was still intact, the rest was really hard to make out, but words like ‘occupy
the guest room or mine’ and ‘mouth aches for yours’ and ‘Your Mr Clark’ were
clearly readable.

“What’s going on Alexis? Are
you sleeping with your boss?” I felt like I’d been hit in the face, my cheeks
were red and hot and my stomach was twisting and making me feel nauseas.

“No Rick, I’m not sleeping
with Bryce, I, I wouldn’t do that.” He sat on the edge of his work bench, he
didn’t seem pissed off which was weird.

“Do you want to sleep with
him?”
Now’s your chance to be honest Alexis.
I walked towards him and
put my hands in his.

“Honestly? Sometimes Yes,
Sometimes No but I would never do that.” He remained calm and it was very hard
for me to comprehend why, I had gone off my tree when he had mentioned that he
and Claire, an old friend of ours, shared an embrace and nearly a kiss.

“Why sometimes yes?”
What’s
he getting at?

“What kind of a question is
that? I don’t know, I guess I’m curious as to what it would be like with
someone else that’s all.”

“Alexis, be honest with me,
have you kissed him?”
Oh Shit, Shit!
My eyes started to fill with tears.
There’s no holding back now.

“Yes Rick, I have, I’m so sorry,
I never meant to hurt you. I don’t know why, I, I.” Rick dropped my hands and
put his face in his.

“I know why, Babe.” I stood
back; I wanted to run, run as far away as possible.

“Why?”

“Because I have felt what you
are feeling.” I wiped my nose with the back of my hand.
What is he talking
about?

“I have wondered what it
would be like with someone else too, the thing is I didn’t just stop there
either Lexi, at the wondering bit I mean.” I stumbled a little, my legs were
trembling from owning up to my own form of betrayal but now I was worried they
would completely give way.

“What are you saying Rick?” I
wasn’t sure I wanted to hear it but deep down I think I already knew.

“Claire and I didn’t just
console each other years ago.” He jumped off the bench and grabbed my
shoulders.

“Lex, I slept with her and
I’m glad I did it in the end, because it made me realise that all I’ve ever
wanted is you and this need I had to see what it felt like, was completely gone
and I’ve never had that feeling again. This is why you should go and get the
same curiosity off your chest, so that we can move on. Look at it like a ‘Hall
Pass’.”

“A Fucking Hall Pass, you
want to give me a Hall Pass to make your infidelity ok?”
I knew it, I
fucking knew it.
I began to cry as the enormity of what he had just
professed, hit me.

“How could you do this Rick? Being
curious and sharing an embrace or a kiss is one thing, but sleeping with her,
fucking her, that’s just….. I can’t do this.” I went to leave but he grabbed
me.

“Alexis I’m sorry, please
don’t leave, sleep on it, I promise it will make more sense in the morning.
Don’t leave I’ll stay in the spare room.” I hit him in the elbow releasing his
grip. 
This really does work.
I grabbed my bag and phone a stormed out
the door.

I swiped my card and pulled
into the basement car park, I must’ve looked like a Panda a very puffy eyed
Panda, I had cried all the way here. Switching off the engine I looked in the
rear-vision mirror.
Fuck I do look like a Panda.
I grabbed a wet wipe
from my bag and began to wipe the smudged Mascara from underneath my eyes; I can’t
let him see me like this. Grabbing my brush I quickly ran it through my hair,
blew my nose and put a little powder on my face, to hide the redness.
Who am
I kidding, I look a mess.
As I got out of the car the elevator doors opened
and he came sprinting out to me, I dropped my bag and ran to him also. We
collided into an embrace only a couple of metres from the car. I was
practically ravaging him and he the same of me, he lifted me up and I wrapped
my legs around him, I ripped his t-shirt off from his head and yanked my own
free. I was hungry for him, for all of him, I had never wanted him, as much as
I did right now. Furiously I tried to get his jeans undone and unleash the
probing thickness that was inside his pants.

“Alexis Hunny, hold on, stop.”
I stopped fumbling and burst into tears, he held me tight and put his hand on
my head. I hung over him like a limp child asleep in their parents arms.

“What’s wrong Hunny, tell
me?” I pulled myself up off his shoulder and looked directly into his eyes.

“Rick, he admitted to having
an affair years ago.” The tears came thick and fast now, I couldn’t stop them. He
carried me to the elevator and up to his apartment, I just clung to him, I
didn’t want to let go. We got out on the second level and he went to take me to
the guest room.

“No, I don’t want to be
alone.” I looked into his eyes.

“Alexis, I don’t want our
first time to be like this or as a result of you being angry with Rick.”

“I know, I don’t want that
either. I just want to be held, that’s all, please.” He wiped away the tears
that sat on top of my cheeks and kissed me tenderly.

“That I can do, that I want
to do.” He took my hand and led me to his room.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

I woke up the next morning,
at first I had to get my bearings.
Yes you are in Bryce’s bed; yes you’re
still partially clothed.
He wasn’t next to me, I shot up.
Where is he?
I left his room and could hear him in the kitchen, I ducked into the guest room
or ‘my room’ as he had put it and grabbed a long black satin nightie. Looking
in the vanity mirror there was still remnants of the river of tears I had cried
yesterday and through the night.
Urgh, I need a shower.
Stripping off
again, I hopped in, the water was soothing and helped wash away the betrayal
and hurt I had been feeling, the memory of my daydream in here crept into my
mind, then the memory of me crouched down when Bryce told me to go home
followed, this shower was becoming an emotional outlet for me, a place to expel
my inner feelings. I hoped the kids were alright, I was sure Rick would not
have said anything to them, knowing him, he probably expects me to come home
tonight like normal. The problem was they were not stupid, they picked up on
the slightest things, especially Nate. I reminded myself to give Mum a call
later just to check in on them. I got out and put the nightie back on, this
time when I looked in the mirror I was clean and fresh and the anger and sadness
I had felt washed down the drain pipe, well for now at least.

He was moving around the kitchen
like a natural, I stood leaning against the wall observing. He had a relaxed
and happy vibe radiating from him and it was infectious, smiling I watched him
chop the chives, he was like a professional chef on one of those cooking shows.
Now that is God damn sexy!
The way his hands moved so quickly on the
chopping board was exciting my insides. He stopped chopping and I raised my eye
level from his hands to his eyes, his chest began to rise and fall heavily
which made mine do the same. He put the knife down and I slowly closed the
distance between us, he lifted me up onto the kitchen bench pulling my nightie
up so I could open my legs and encase him in them. Our kissing was truly
indescribable; he kissed my neck, dragging his bottom lip down my throat. The
strap on my nightie fell from my shoulder exposing my breast, he engulfed it
instantly in his mouth making me cry out, he then removed the other strap and
greedily consumed my other breast, it was so good I could’ve climaxed just from
the sensation his mouth was giving me. He returned to my lips and growled like
a hungry animal, the rawness of his sound nearly tipped me over the edge, I
moaned and crossed my legs around his back.

“Alexis, you’re driving me
wild.”

“Good, make love to me.” He
deepened his kiss for only a second then pulled away and grabbed my face.

“No Hunny, I have plans for
you later.” The sheer thought of his plans sent me into a frenzy, but I was
wanting, and wanting now. He unwrapped my legs, stood back, shook his head and
resumed chopping. I was panting.
No, don’t stop now!
I dropped the
bottom lip and pulled my straps back on.
Oh no, he’s not getting away with
this.
Still sitting on the bench next to him, I draped myself back and
crossed my legs in a seductive pose, he growled again.
Oooh I love it when
he growls.

“Alexis, you don’t know how
hard it is for me to say no to you, I want tonight to be special, so for fuck
sake stop torturing me.” He was gritting his teeth and breathing through his
nose. I slipped off the bench and grabbed a piece of crusty baguette, I bit
into it and growled back at him, he smiled and I scowled.

“Breakfast will be ready in a
minute.”

“What are we having?” I
started to lick the piece of bread and play with it with my tongue; to my
utmost joy he began to display his delectable ‘smirk’.

“Eggs Benedict.” I bit down
on the baguette aggressively and turned to exit the kitchen.

“Yum,” I called back. As I
walked out, I caught his reflection in the window, he had both his hands
through his hair and had dropped his head to the bench top. I left the room, my
face displayed the biggest smirk in history and naughty me did not let him see
it.

Breakfast was delicious, he
was a brilliant cook and it came through in his food, he had asked me if I was
ok and if he could do anything for me. I reassured him that I was fine, and
deep down I had a feeling there was more to Rick and Claire all along, just not
quite that much more.

“What’s done is done Bryce, I
can’t change what Rick has done and neither can he. I don’t want to think about
it, nor do I want to talk about it. I am here with you and you only, I will
speak to Rick when I’m well and truly ready.” He didn’t argue with me. The buzzer
to his office went off; he kissed my hand and got up.

“Ah my Cinderella, I hope you
are ready.” I watched him leave the apartment, he had been smiling all morning
apart from my attempts to torture him, but even then he radiated happiness. He
returned momentarily with Clarissa who was pushing a trolley with my dress, a
shoe box, some bags and cases, walking next to her was a heavily made up blonde
and a very well groomed man.

“Good morning Ms Summers,”
Clarissa was effervescent as usual.

“This is Jane and Carl, they
are going to do your hair and make-up for this evening.”

“Good morning Clarissa,
please call me Alexis.” I went to shake Jane and Carl’s hands.

“It’s a pleasure to meet
you.”

“I’ll leave you in their
capable hands Alexis.” Bryce kissed me on the forehead and exited through his
office. Jane, Clarissa and Carl all stood wide-eyed as they surveyed the
apartment, I couldn’t help but smile, I must’ve looked just like them the first
time I stepped in here.

“Wow, I’ve never been in here
it’s stunning.” Clarissa raised her eyebrows and smiled excitedly at me.

“Ok, let’s get started.”

“Ready when you are.” I was
very keen to get made up, the last time I had a proper pampering session was on
my wedding day, so today was going to help put that memory aside.

“Right, first things first,
spray tan. Carl help me set up the tent.” Jane got things moving straight away,
they both erected the tent quite quickly. I had a choice of wearing a G-string,
but I was in a daring mood and just let them spray me entirely. My brazenness
was a result of being around Bryce, I think, it was also because today I felt
like a new Alexis, that and the fact I had lost a lot of weight and was now
more than proud to show myself off when the time called for it. The tanning was
done quite quickly, couldn’t say I was a fan of it but I was always willing to
try things at least once. We moved right along to my hair, Carl was not your
typical stereotyped gay male hairdresser, he was married with 3 kids and had
his own salon on Chapel Street.